Method and Nodes for Handling Multicast Messages

1. A method for handling multicast messages in an access domain, the method comprising steps of: receiving at an access edge node a multicast message from a service provider domain; identifying at the access edge node a service agent corresponding to the service provider domain; modifying at the access edge node a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Tag field of the received multicast message so as to correspond to the identified service agent; forwarding from the access node to an access node of the access domain, the access node serving a user domain, the modified multicast message over the access domain; receiving the modified multicast message at the access node; identifying at the access node at least one service binding corresponding to the service agent indicated in the VLAN Tag field; for each service binding identified, adapting at the access node the VLAN Tag field so as to correspond to a local VLAN information; and forwarding from the access node the adapted multicast message on a user port corresponding to the service binding; wherein the service binding is created at the access edge node, the service binding ruling data traffic between the user domain and the service provider domain by committing the access node and the access edge node in a manner of managing data traffic therebetween over the access domain, the service binding being related to one of the service agents of the access edge node, and service binding information being stored at the access edge node and at the access node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the receiving step, the identifying step and the modifying steps are performed in an access edge node of the access domain, the access edge node being an entry point for the service provider domain into the access domain; and the identifying step is performed using a destination address and source address of the multicast message.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the destination address is a multicast MAC address and the source address is a service provider domain MAC address.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the service agent corresponds to a specific service provider domain, and manages therefor a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) over the access domain.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the VLAN Tag field is modified so as to correspond to a service agent identifier, representative of the service agent.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the service binding information stored at the access edge node includes: service agent identification, a user domain MAC address, a local network context of the user domain, and a serving access node MAC address.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the service binding information stored at the access edge node further includes: service type identification and a user port on the service access node information.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the service binding information stored at the access node includes: service agent identification, user domain MAC address, user port on the access node information and local network context of the user domain.

9. An access edge node for handling multicast messages, the access edge node comprising: a service provider domain input/output unit for communicating with a service provider domain over a network and for receiving messages therefrom; an access domain output unit for communicating with an access node over an access domain; and a controlling unit comprising one or more processors for controlling the service provider domain input/output unit and the access domain output unit, for determining that a received message at the service provider domain input/output unit is a multicast message, for identifying a corresponding service agent, for modifying a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Tag field of the received multicast message so as to correspond to the identified service agent, and for requesting the access domain output unit to forward the modified multicast message over the access domain.

10. The access edge node in accordance with claim 9 , wherein: the controlling unit identifies the corresponding service agent using a destination address and source address of the multicast message.

11. The access edge node in accordance with claim 10 , wherein: the destination address is a multicast MAC address and the source address is a service provider domain MAC address.

12. The access edge node in accordance with claim 9 , wherein: the service agent corresponds to a specific service provider domain, and manages therefor a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) over the access domain.

13. The access edge node in accordance with claim 9 , wherein: the VLAN Tag field is modified so as to correspond to a service agent identifier, representative of the service agent.

14. An access node for handling multicast messages received from an access domain, the access node comprising: an access domain input unit for receiving multicast messages from an access edge node over the access domain; a user domain output unit for sending messages toward user domains; a service binding unit for storing service bindings related information, each service binding ruling data traffic between a user domain and a service provider domain by committing the access node and the access edge node in a manner of managing data traffic therebetween over the access domain, the service binding related information including for each service binding an identification of a corresponding service agent, a user MAC address, user port identification and a local network context; and a controlling unit comprising one or more processors for controlling the access domain input unit, the user domain output unit and the service binding unit, for verifying whether the received message at the access domain input unit is a multicast message, for identifying at least one service binding relating to a service agent identification of a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Tag field of the received multicast message, for each identified service binding, for adapting the content of the VLAN Tag field to the local network context, and for requesting the user domain output unit to forward the multicast message adapted by the controlling unit, on the user port identified in the related service binding.

15. The access node in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the service bindings are created at an access edge node, and the access node is informed of the created service bindings through the access domain input unit.

16. The access node in accordance with claim 14 , wherein a destination address of the multicast message forwarded at the user domain output unit is a multicast MAC address of a service provider domain and the source address is a service provider domain MAC address.